1. Career Planning

2. The Donner-Wheeler Model
Phase one: scanning your environment
Phase two: completing your self-assessment and reality check
Phase three: creating your career vision
Phase four: developing your strategic career plan
Phase five: marketing yourself
Career planning for students should begin at the start of your career.
Miller, Shortridge, Woodside and Gutjahr (1984) suggest that nursing has a great deal to offer students who are able to articulate their strengths and who have a process of developing their career goals
Students are most often concerned about lack of experience will disadvantage them : students possess many attributes that will serve them will in the current job market. The key is to start thinking about that now by taking the time to develop your plan doing so will provide you with a definite advantage
The career planning process involves thought, insight and dedicated time: the most important resource to this process is you
Incorporating the career planning process into your nursing education will help you develop the knowledge and resources to shape your student experience

3. Scanning Taking stock of the world in which you live
What are the current realities/current trends?
Using your nursing skills of assessment, observation, planning
Look around you regionally, globally, what is happening? Read nursing journals, go online, attend conferences
Discussions about current trends in nursing practice and descriptions of skills outlined in job advertisements can identify clues as to which nursing skills are considered necessary

4. Self-Assessment
Recognizing the attributes that make you who you are and what you have to offer to the environment
Need to have a high degree of self-knowledge
Reflect on both personal and professional attributes and accomplishments
Identify needs for further development
Be aware of your values, skills, strengths and areas that you would like to develop further
Focus on the reasons why you chose to enter this profession, reflect on your professional experiences in academic and clinical areas…what have your instructors identified as strengths and weaknesses?
Because of the amount of self reflection that you already do as students you have an advantage

5. Who am I? Values Knowledge and skills Interests Accomplishments
- Values reflection page of reading

6. Reality Check
Seeking feedback about your strengths and weaknesses…expand your view of who you are by reflecting on what others’ say about you

7. How do others see me? Take the initiative
Seek formal and informal feedback
Listen and accept positive feedback
Acknowledge areas where change is needed
Ask for ideas on how to develop new skills

8. Creating your career vision
Looking at what is possible
Making use of your resources
Having the ability to harness and focus your energy
What do I really want to be doing????

9. Developing your plan
Putting down on paper the specific strategies you will use to change your career

10. Goals A purpose or objective towards which an endeavour is directed
They need to be specific, time framed, reachable and relevant

11. How can I achieve my career goals?
Action steps
Resources
Timelines
Indicators of success

12. Marketing yourself
Articulating who you are, what you want and what you can do
Persuading others that what you have to offer meets their current needs

13. How to best market yourself?
Establish a network
Acquire a mentor or coach
Develop your written and verbal communication skills: professional speaking, presentations & interviews
Have a targeted resume and cv
Business cards
publications

14. Portfolios
Tool to help you identify, collect and reflect upon and value your experiences, learning and accomplishments
Helps you see how you are developing as a professional
Provides a system for identifying your goals for future learning and development

15. How to do it? Begins with reviewing your past and gathering documents
Requires ongoing maintenance
Save anything that identifies your skills, attributes, contributions and put that in your portfolio
Can be used as a means of completing your QA for CNO

16. What do I want from my portfolio?
What goals do I have in mind?
Components: beliefs about nursing, life review, learning plan/learning log, self-assessment, peer feedback, any attachments